China goes electric, but can it get off coal?
Key takeaways
- The world's clean energy superpower also emits the most CO2.
- In 2025 alone, it added nearly 450 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy capacity, which was more solar and twice as much wind as the rest of the world combined.
- Before 2010, China had only limited renewable energy.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
The world's clean energy superpower also emits the most CO2. But coal-fired power may have peaked as China electrifies its economy with ever more renewables.
https://p.dw.com/p/5Dhba China has added so much wind and solar capacity to the grid in recent years that it is well ahead on renewable energy targets Image: Nur Photo/IMAGOAdvertisement China is undergoing a renewable energy revolution. In 2025 alone, it added nearly 450 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy capacity, which was more solar and twice as much wind as the rest of the world combined.
Before 2010, China had only limited renewable energy. Today, electricity generated by huge wind and solar farms that stretch out across mountains, deserts, on rooftops and off the coast, account for a quarter of electricity production.